Post navigation

Generate

If I were to ask most people who call themselves salespeople what their job is, they would likely say something like ‘sell, satisfy people’s needs, help people to find solutions’ – something like that.

As I look at the current buying habits of retail and trade customers, and the new adventure of ‘showrooming’ and internet buying, it’s clear that the role and job of an inside salesperson is altering. Maybe it’s beyond altering and has already changed, and we’re just slow to act.

Where that leaves inside salespeople with is a new definition of their job – which is to GENERATE sales. That means to go and get them, rather than only assisting incoming opportunities to purchase. Go and get them. Because to wait for enough incoming traffic, that is sufficient traffic to produce sales to make goal, is to wait a very long time.

That also means that getting contact information, creating quotes, making appointments to return, calling quotes that are still unsold, calling after delivery, making outside appointments to sell, calling 30-90 days after the sale – all now required actions to incorporate into an inside sales checklist of ‘dollar producing activities’.

I can feel the reaction of ‘that’s not my job to create opportunities, that’s the job of ownership to provide leads via advertising and marketing’. At some point in the distant past that might have been true, it just isn’t true any longer. A sales job is to GENERATE sales, whatever and however that needs to happen.

The more you make it fun, make it a game, and enjoy the outward engagement, the more sales you will generate. That’s how it works.

And so you know, I’m not just being bossy and am taking my own coaching today and ‘dialing for dollars’. I have scheduled one ‘next step’ appointment for Friday, and made one on-site cold call to Mass Real Estate (no, they are not my target audience, but they are required to have CEU’s….which I offer….) IN MY GYM CLOTHES no less, and will pursue that avenue for speaking engagements.

Thanks, Mark. A few months ago I wrote another blog – It’s More Than That – about how ALL of our jobs have changed. For inside salespeople, they need to develop the skills of ‘hunting’ that are critical for outside salespeople. It’s a new world, and a cool one if you’re prepared to shift how you operate. Keep in touch and thanks for your comments!

Jody what is so difficult about this concept ??
Only a small portion of us seem to wrap our lives around it !
I LOVE MY JOB AND I HAVE FUN WITH IT EVERYDAY !!
First to educate then to offer a helping hand.
KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID !!!!
Love your Blog
Michael English

Thanks so much, Michael. Well, it’s not a concept that is easy to swallow for people who think that selling is waiting and serving – not standing, calling, and calling ON…that’s work of a different kind. That’s a creation. Thank you for being a like-minded sales pro and I trust that you have a team who generates new business as their way of doing business.
Keep reading and please forward my posts and contact information to anyone you know who would benefit from it.
Cheers and love, Jody

I really enjoyed this, and wish I’d had this to quote back when I was an interior design franchise owner. This was a very hard concept to get across to a creative team of people, but without sales, there was no opportunity to the do the design work. I had to close the business, but now am pursuing my own degree in interior design, so that I can personaly practice what I used to preach.

Congratulations to you Cathy! I hope this new direction works out well for you and gives you the opportunity to practice the skills you taught for so long. If there is any way that I can assist, please let me know. Cheers, Jody

Get a free 15 minute business consultation!

"Just got off a call with @JodySeivert! She's one to chat w/ if you are serious abt growing your design biz! #FullSteamAhead"

"Your free 15 minute coaching session is a golden nugget that any designer would be remiss if they allowed the opportunity to pass them by. I genuinely appreciate your attention to my business conundrum and your validation to what I was also doing right! I will return soon as a paying customer in the near future!"

*If you need a second set of eyes or ears on your business or your sales process, please drop me an email or pick up the phone and call me. We can accomplish a lot in a small slice of time! -Jody

Receive new posts by email!

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.